A dictionary of Greek and Roman . alled by Homeraa-iriarai, from their great shield (acriris) ; alsoayxefjiaxoi, because they fought hand to handwith their adversaries ; but much more commonlyirpofxaxot because they occupied the front of thearmy: and it is to be observed that these terms,especially the last, were honourable titles, the ex-pense of a complete suit of armour (iravoirXir),Herod, i. 60) being of itself sufficient to prove thewealth and rank of the wearer, while his place onthe field was no less indicative of strength andbravery. In later times, the heavy-armed soldie
A dictionary of Greek and Roman . alled by Homeraa-iriarai, from their great shield (acriris) ; alsoayxefjiaxoi, because they fought hand to handwith their adversaries ; but much more commonlyirpofxaxot because they occupied the front of thearmy: and it is to be observed that these terms,especially the last, were honourable titles, the ex-pense of a complete suit of armour (iravoirXir),Herod, i. 60) being of itself sufficient to prove thewealth and rank of the wearer, while his place onthe field was no less indicative of strength andbravery. In later times, the heavy-armed soldiers werecalled dirXiTcu, because the term oirXa more espe-cially denoted the defensive armour, the shield andthorax. By wearing these they were distinguishedfrom the light-armed, whom Herodotus (ix. 62,63), for the reason just mentioned, calls avoirXoi,and who are also denominated ipiAoi, and yvjxvoi,yvfjiv^Tai, or )Tes. Instead of being defended by the shield and thorax, their bodies had amuch slighter covering, sometimes consisting of. skins, and sometimes of leather or cloth ; and in-stead of the sword and lance, they commonly foughtwith darts, stones, bows and arrows, or slings. Besides the heavy and light-armed soldiers, theoTrAtTcu and tyiAoi, who in general bore towardsone another the intimate relation now explained,another description of men, the ireXraoTai, alsoformed a part of the Greek army, though we donot hear of them in early times. Instead of thelarge round shield, they carried a smaller one calledthe 7reAT77, and in other respects their armour wasmuch lighter than that of the hoplites. The weaponon which they principally depended was the spear. The Roman soldiers had different kinds of armsand armour; but an account of the arms of thedifferent kinds of troops cannot be separated from adescription of the troops of a Roman army, and thereader is therefore referred to Exercztus. Weneed only give here the figure of a Roman soldiertaken from the arch of Septim
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithwilliam18131893, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
